After-School Workers to Make Extra $5/Hour in Hero Pay for LA’s Next Generation of Front-Line Workers
Minimum wage may be $14/hour, but LA childcare workers who hit the front lines this April 19 when schools re-open will make an extra $5/hour thanks to the efforts of local school districts and community-based organizations including Woodcraft Rangers, the largest outside community-based agency providing these services for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
With schools opening up, Woodcraft Rangers and other large community-based organizations are ramping up for a pandemic recovery effort that will bring new essential workers to the front lines to support hundreds of sites throughout Los Angeles County. When schools reopen later this month, school districts across Los Angeles County including the largest district, LAUSD, will offer child-care and enrichment for all students; community-based organizations will help fill in the coverage gaps. Organizations anticipate youth workers filling the gap but also have strategic partnerships in mind to sub-contract veterans, work service and job training participants, early education workers and more.
With less than 7 days to hire thousands of staff for the ramp up, districts and organizations acknowledged the need for an attractive hourly wage necessary to make quick hires and to acknowledge the service these individuals are giving to the community. Understanding that the caregivers are the next generation of front-line workers, school districts and community-based organizations will be offering an extra $5 of hero pay.
“We hope that a $5 differential will motivate youth new hires and partnerships with veteran groups, job training programs, early education organizations, and more to join the ranks of after-school care. While there is no county ordinance requiring it, we know it’s the right thing to do.” said Julee Brooks, Chief Executive Officer of Woodcraft Rangers.
Woodcraft Rangers, the largest outside community-based agency providing these types of services for LAUSD, will need to hire nearly 1,000 staff in less than 7 days. To hire so many qualified workers so quickly, Woodcraft Rangers recruiters have already mobilized Social Media, Workforce Agencies, and radio announcements, holding six virtual job fairs. Initial job fairs received an overwhelming response.
“We are hiring more people with each passing day. Just yesterday we hired 60 people and we have three job fairs today alone,” said Brooks. “We’ve received hundreds of applicants each day, but there are still hundreds of full- and part-time positions to fill. We recently had our scope expanded, and we have the most sites of any community-based organization serving LAUSD.”
Interested applicants can register for the Job Fairs at www.WoodcraftRangers.org where they can find a link to more details and an application on the first page. The next Virtual Job Fair is Friday, April 16th starting at 10am, with another on Monday, April 19th at 2:30pm.
About Woodcraft Rangers
Woodcraft Rangers is a 99-year-old organization dedicated to guiding young people to purposeful lives as they explore pathways through after-school learning, day camps and sleepaway summer camps.
Press Contact:
Michelle Suzuki
310-930-6655
https://woodcraftrangers.org/
